Today's Birthdays ( 14-December 17 )

Another terror attack plot foiled....

Lord

Posted 6 April 2004 - 11:35 AM

Lord

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this time a chemical attack on the London Underground. When, if ever, will all this bolloxs end! Those spanish ones still aren't done yet, threatening to make Spain run with rivers of blood! I'm off to Madrid as well this weekend!!! I bet they let all those rag heads they arrested last week out as well. No doubt some smart a*re lawyer will plead the usual human rights bolloxs!

Nigel D

Posted 6 April 2004 - 12:10 PM

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Below is a C&P from the BBC website. I'm slightly concerned. Exactly how was the plot foiled, if the report makes no mention of any arrests? Makes me wonder whether there's some attempt being made to manipulate the public to further some other agenda.

Intelligence agents in the UK and US have foiled an alleged chemical bomb plot in Britain, the BBC has learnt.

The plot was believed to involve detonating a combination of explosive and a chemical called osmium tetroxide.

Experts say in gas form it could be lethal in a confined space.

The plotters were thought to be sympathetic to the aims of al-Qaeda and the intended target was believed to be British civilians.

The chemical has a legitimate scientific use for research but is highly destructive to peoples' eyes, lungs and skin.

Attack 'inevitable'

The plot was foiled after US and British intelligence intercepted communications between the plotters and it is not thought that they had managed to obtain any of the chemical, osmium tetroxide.

The target was thought to be areas in which there would be concentrations of people, possibly within a confined space.

The UK has been on a high state of alert since bombings in Madrid on 11 March claimed 191 lives.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir John Stevens said a terror attack on London was inevitable but Home Secretary David Blunkett has tried to play this down.

There has to be a balance between telling the truth and reassurance

Home Secretary David Blunkett Alastair Hay, Professor of environmental toxicology at Leeds University, said osmium tetroxide was a rare catalyst - a chemical that speeds experiments - and could potentially make an explosion occur more rapidly.

But Professor Hay told the BBC it would have to be obtained from a specialist chemical supplier and it did not fit the profile of a typical chemical warfare or dirty bomb agent.

"It would not be in the same category as some radioactive substance which would continue to emit radiation and cause a problem in terms of clean up.

"This would be something present, like a heavy metal like lead, in the environment. I don't think it would be a major hazard and clean up would not be a major problem," he said.

Lord

Posted 6 April 2004 - 12:25 PM

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What, you mean pretending to Joe Public that the authorities are winning the battle against terrorism, when really M15, the CIA, the Met Police, both the US and UK governments are as clueless about the next terrorist targets as the rest of us?!! I couldn't believe for one moment that two, trusting and honest governments such as Blair's and Bush's would ever mislead the public!! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Urchino

Posted 6 April 2004 - 02:00 PM

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"It's all [***!!***] designed to frighten us" totally agree...

As addressed in 1984 by G.Orwell on the subject of "Peace is war", people are much less likely to attack their governments policies ie economy or public services if they are worried about an outside force attacking them. The outside force in this circumstance is terrorism, obviously no one is dismissing the attacks on America by terrorists nor likewise in Madrid, but i truly believe our Government has an alternative agenda in talking the terror threat up.

Ron Merlin

Posted 16 April 2004 - 01:57 PM

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Let's face it, it's not hard to spin a panic, is it? A careful press release here, a briefing from friends at MI5 or top police on some nick-of-time arrest (with few details given for 'security reasons') and a climate of panic is created, one in which the public can be manipulated into accepting further and further cuts in their civil rights.

Is it a coincidence that Blunkett's forcing ahead the ID card scheme at this time? ID cards didn't bloody stop Madrid, did they? And the Spanish have had the things for years.

Colin, Germany

Posted 16 April 2004 - 07:32 PM

Colin, Germany

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Passports are only needed by people travelling abroad. Driving licences are only needed by people who drive. Nobody needs credit cards. So maybe it's as if everything you do is stored under your National Insurance number.

American FLEET FAN No1

Posted 20 April 2004 - 12:16 AM

King Carlos

Posted 20 April 2004 - 06:25 AM

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I'm actually surprised that Islamic extremists are planning attacks on the UK. The way I see it, any potential terrorists have a good base with which too operate from. Checks on Asylum seekers and other immigrants are almost non-existent, any potential terrorist can travel relatively easily to other EU nations, the facilities are there to easily launder money, produce false documentation or obtain potential harmful substances if they have the know how. Any terrorists attack on the homeland would immediately spark outrage and in turn make it harder for them to operate. I believe that if there government were truly concerned about a possibility of an attack on Britain then there are measures, which they would or should have put into place by now.